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EU should not isolate Turkish Cypriots

While the saga of ‘the Cyprus problem’ has been going on for a while, never before has it occupied so much space in Western media. The efforts by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, coupled with Cyprus’ entry to the European Union and Turkey’s bid for membership, has on the one hand complicated the matter, and on the other has brought all parties concerned closer than ever in the past 30 years to a solution.

Part of the momentum is thanks to the changes in the policies of the Turkish and Turkish-Cypriot sides. The coming to power in Turkey of a pro-EU and reform-minded government and the change in government in north Cyprus, with a leadership that puts a solution and EU membership to the top of its agenda, have played a considerable role in altering the dynamics of the Cyprus problem.

Many circles in Europe and elsewhere are now closely following the developments regarding the referenda on 24 April, when both Cypriot communities will vote on the ‘Annan Plan’. Various polls indicate that the tendency is for a ‘Yes’ vote in the Turkish Cypriot north, and a ‘No’ in the Greek Cypriot south. Diplomatic circles submit that these tendencies have created an interesting situation, where the internationally isolated Turkish Cypriots are overwhelmingly supporting a UN- and EU-backed plan, while the Greek Cypriots are not. By standing against the Annan Plan – the result of years-long hard work and, arguably, the closest one can get to a document agreeable by both sides – the Greek Cypriots stand to benefit, by entering the EU on their own, representing the whole of Cyprus.

While many agree that this outcome is not just and that the fact that Greek Cypriots shall enter the EU one way or the other is not helping the situation on the island, the EU seems to be chained by the Treaty of Accession of Cyprus. The international diplomatic community recognizes the Greek Cypriot dominated Republic of Cyprus as a legitimate government and treats the Turkish Cypriot north as a ‘non-entity’. This has meant international isolation for Turkish Cypriots.

In his recent visit to Brussels, Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat brought up this issue and suggested that in the event that Turkish Cypriots support the UN and EU backed plan, and a solution cannot be reached due to a Greek Cypriot ‘No’ vote, measures should be taken to overcome the isolation of Turkish Cypriots. Talat explained that he, like other Turkish Cypriots, could not travel on Turkish Cypriot passports, and had to use travel documents issued by Turkey. Talat argued that Turkish Cypriots should be supported for their determination to find a solution to the Cyprus problem under the auspices of the UN and within the principles of the EU, through the removal of such restrictions.

Whether, after 24 April, such measures will be taken remains to be seen. However, there are indications that Greek Cypriots, who have been enjoying the position of representing the whole of the island for more than 40 years, are not keen to share power.

Many Turkish Cypriots believe that Greek Cypriots, who have been controlling the Republic of Cyprus, have been less than sincere in their attitude towards Turkish Cypriots. The internationally recognized, and Greek Cypriot dominated, Cypriot state claims to be based on the 1960 constitution, which acknowledges both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots as founders of the state.

In Mehmet Ali Talat’s visit to Brussels, an issue relating to the constitutional rights of Turkish Cypriots within the EU context was brought up. According to the constitution of the Republic of Cyprus, the Cypriot state has two official languages: Greek and Turkish. Despite this fact, according to Talat, the Greek Cypriot government took active measures to prohibit Turkish from becoming an official EU language.

As we rapidly approach the critical date of 24 April, the EU faces a Cypriot community, with a strong determination to join the EU and willingness to compromise for this purpose, left outside the European family due to the political stalemate on the island. Many people interested in Cyprus agree that the international isolation of Turkish Cypriots is not constructive and ways should be found to overcome it.

Turkish Cypriots shall anxiously await what 1 May will bring to them, in the event of a non-settlement. Whether in the post-enlargement dynamics of the EU, Brussels shall extend a hand to Turkish Cypriots and allow them to connect with the rest of Europe, will be one of the upcoming important issues in the ongoing Cyprus problem.